Sitting in a crowded press conference, Aaron McKenna confessed that the magnitude of his achievement hadn’t quite registered – and wouldn’t for some time to come.

The Monaghan fighter claimed the IBF middleweight world championship on Saturday evening, defeating Italy’s Etinosa Oliha by unanimous decision at the 3Arena.

For McKenna, this represented the pinnacle moment he had envisioned since childhood.

It was the reason his father Fergal left his job, gathered their belongings and relocated to America when McKenna was merely 16 years old.

It was the reason ‘The Silencer’ persevered after chances eluded him or were snatched away, reports the Irish Mirror.

It was the reason he continued training in the gym daily alongside his brother Stevie, believing that one day he would receive his deserved recognition.

That day has now arrived.

“It still doesn’t feel real,” said a delighted McKenna as he sat down to answer questions from journalists shortly after midnight following his victory.

“21 years in the sport. Now to finally actually become world champion, it’s literally what I have dreamed of my whole life.

“Now that it’s reality, it is going to take a long time for this to seep in.”

The 27-year-old entered the contest with fellow unbeaten fighter Oliha following a breakthrough victory over English legend Liam Smith.

Yet that fight took place in April of last year and, not for the first time in his career, McKenna felt he wasn’t receiving the chances he merited.

“I was held back for years. I don’t know why. When I was 20, 21, I knew I was at this level,” he declared. “I went over to America at 16, I was doing that kind of stuff against world level fighters, even at 16, so now to finally get the opportunity with Zuffa, I’m so grateful to them.”

It was a remarkable evening for the McKenna brothers, who were both stepping into the ring on Irish soil as professionals for the very first time.

Just hours before Aaron’s world title triumph, Stevie delivered a first-round knockout against Owen O’Neill in their middleweight bout.

‘The Hitman’ needed just 65 seconds to dispose of the Belfast man, with the victory coming two months after he stopped American Casey James Streeter in 64 seconds in Bournemouth.

“We never once lost focus,” added Aaron. “It was 16 months since my last fight.

“A week after my fight, I was in the gym. Staying busy, staying active.”

McKenna joins Andy Lee, who was commentating from ringside for Sky Sports, and Steve Collins on the list of Irish middleweight world champions.

All three judges scored the fight in his favour: 118-110, 117-111, 116-112.

The contest began tentatively, with McKenna looking to utilise his reach advantage, while Oliha, competing outside of Italy or Germany for the first time, showed early signs that the Smithborough man would have his work cut out.

Nevertheless, McKenna gradually took command as the fight progressed, building momentum and upping the intensity. By the midway point he had thrown more than double the punches of his opponent, continuing to land powerful blows deep into the contest.

Oliha deserves recognition for his perseverance through to the final bell, but the thunderous reception from the spectators during the closing round and afterwards left little doubt about who had earned victory.

McKenna, long-time the hunter, will now become the hunted, but he is up for any challenge.

The eight-time Irish national champion has his sights set on unification clashes with his fellow middleweight world titleholders.

Those include: Erislandy Lara, Carlos Adames and Janibek Alimkhanuly.

McKenna is also willing to step up to super-middleweight in pursuit of becoming a two-division champion.

“I’m going to be easy to find now because I have a belt,” he said. “They’re all going to come out crawling now.

“Any of the world champions (he’ll fight). I want to unify. I said before the fight I want to be an active world champion and that’s exactly what I’m going to be.

“It doesn’t matter who I’m fighting, any of those world champions that want it.”

Just seven days after Pierce O’Leary faced Mark Chamberlain at the same location, the 3Arena was transformed once more into a pressure cooker of noise and excitement.

“It was ten times better than what I expected,” McKenna remarked. “I knew it was going to be loud.

“For the last eight or nine years everyone from Monaghan has been asking when we were going to fight in Ireland or when we were going to fight on the same card.

“We’ve ticked those boxes on the one night and to do it for the world title is even better.”

Family has played a pivotal role in this achievement, and Aaron was eager to pay tribute to his dad Fergal, his brother Stevie, and their other brother Gary, who was himself a gifted amateur boxer.

“We did this together, it wasn’t just me,” said McKenna. “My other brother as well Gary, we’ve done this our whole lives growing up.

“We’ve a lot to thank our dad for. He literally dedicated his life into us to make us the best boxers we could be and tonight we got a world title.”

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Perez Hilton‘s team is speaking out and revealing the extent of his injuries in the wake of a disturbing livestream in which he self-harmed with a knife.

In a statement shared to Hilton’s website, his team revealed that he suffered ‘significant blood loss’ in the horrific incident, as well as unspecified ‘additional injuries.’

According to the update, the 48-year-old gossip blogger will ‘require surgery in the coming days’ to treat his injuries.

The statement also confirmed that Hilton ‘remains hospitalized under Florida‘s Baker Act,’ a law that allows for involuntary hospitalizations.

Due to the conditions of his hospitalization and the Baker Act, they emphasized that the blogger’s ‘communication has been extremely limited and confined to immediate family, medical providers, and others directly involved in his care.’

It emphasized that his ‘condition remains serious but stable,’ and Hilton’s team said his ‘treatment and recovery’ would be a ‘long process.’

In a statement shared to Hilton’s website , his team revealed that he suffered ‘significant blood loss’ in the horrific incident, as well as unspecified ‘additional injuries’

They also shared that he had been able to spend time with his mother and sister on Friday. 

Hilton’s team confirmed that his ‘children remain safe and are being cared for by immediate family.’ 

‘Please allow them and the rest of the family the peace and privacy they desperately need during this incredibly difficult time,’ the statement concluded. ‘Thank you for your continued support, compassion, and understanding.’

Daily Mail has reached out to reps for Hilton for comment, but has yet to hear back. 

The latest update from Hilton’s camp comes after the Daily Mail exclusively revealed his first words from his hospital bed. 

The Baker Act – officially the Florida Mental Health Act – allows medical and mental health professionals, as well as judges and law enforcement officers, to involuntarily commit individuals for up to 72 hours if they are believed to be at risk of harming themselves or others.

Earlier this week on Tuesday, Hilton was transported to a hospital in an ambulance after a distressing TikTok livestream which saw him self-harm with a knife.

Surveillance footage from a neighbor’s house captured the moment when law enforcement arrived to the star’s residence in Miami after fans reached out to 911 over concern for his welfare. 

The statement also confirmed that Hilton ‘remains hospitalized under Florida’s Baker Act,’ a law that allows for involuntary hospitalizations; pictured in 2023 in Las Vegas 

Hilton’s team confirmed that his ‘children remain safe and are being cared for by immediate family’

Police cars could be seen puling up to the home not long after 7pm on Tuesday evening. 

Law enforcement was seen trying to get Hilton, whose real name is Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr., out of his home in the video. 

A deputy was heard calling out: ‘Mario, it’s the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, please step out of the house.’  

Clips taken from the footage, which the Daily Mail will not publish, appeared to show the media personality covered in blood while brandishing a knife. 

The livestream video has since been taken down by TikTok, and his account has also been suspended. 

Later on Wednesday, it was revealed that Hilton’s three children as well as his niece and sister had been inside his Florida home at the time of the livestream incident. 

In a previous statement shared to the star’s website, it said that his family ‘immediately fled’ to protect the children from ‘witnessing any further trauma’ when it was clear Hilton was having ‘a severe mental health crisis and harming himself.’

The message had read: ‘Our family cannot express enough our continued gratitude for the overwhelming outpouring of love, support, and prayers we have received during this incredibly difficult time.

‘The events of the past several days have been nearly unbearable for our family.’ 

‘Please allow them and the rest of the family the peace and privacy they desperately need during this incredibly difficult time,’ the statement concluded. ‘Thank you for your continued support, compassion, and understanding’; seen above in the hospital earlier this year

The livestream video has since been taken down by TikTok, and his account has also been suspended; seen in 2025 in Las Vegas 

‘Our highest priority right now is helping the children begin to heal from what they experienced. An important part of that process is allowing them to safely return home and begin rebuilding a sense of security and normalcy.’ 

Hilton’s family also requested for ‘privacy and space they need during this unimaginably difficult time.

‘We will continue to provide updates on Perez’s condition through PerezHilton.com when we have additional information we are able to share. Again, thank you for your compassion, understanding, and continued prayers.’

Hilton had been hospitalized earlier this year in March, and had shared pictures of himself in a hospital bed while recovering from sepsis. 

He had developed an ulcer after taking flu medication on an empty stomach, which then led to a 21-day hospitalization. 

And just weeks later, the blogger faced another health crisis after experiencing ‘soreness and pain in one of my legs.’

Following an ultrasound, it was revealed that Hilton had a deep vein thrombosis.

‘I am so thankful to God that we caught this early because if that blood clot had gone to my lungs or my heart, it could have been real bad,’ he said on Instagram at the time. 

Hilton had been hospitalized earlier this year in March, and had shared pictures of himself in a hospital bed while recovering from sepsis

He had developed an ulcer after taking flu medication on an empty stomach, which then led to a 21-day hospitalization; seen in 2025 

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He soon gave another update on social media to share that he was able to ‘finally walk again’ as he used the help of a walker. 

Months before the distressing TikTok livestream, Hilton reflected on his health scares and admitted he thought he was ‘going to die.’ 

During an appearance on Fox News Media’s Hang Out with Sean Hannity podcast, which had been recorded on July 14, he said, ‘I was in the hospital for 21 days, so I thought I was gonna die.

‘Especially because the first few days they couldn’t find where the perforation was and then I had all of these other issues. My body just started breaking down.’

He further explained, ‘I had fluid in my lungs. I went AFib. My heart issues. Everything that could go wrong, went wrong.

‘I’m 48 and I’ve never taken any kind of flu medication with food. And some medication, you don’t need to take with food. The flu medication you’re supposed to take with food.’ 

Hilton stated that he took both ‘Aleve and Tylenol’ on an empty stomach. 

‘I know, I did that for a week, and I developed an ulcer and a perforation and here we are.’

He soon gave another update on social media to share that he was able to ‘finally walk again’ as he used the help of a walker

Hilton is dad to Mario, 13, Mia, 11, and Mayte, eight, whom he welcomed via surrogate.

Hilton notably launched his celebrity gossip blog back in 2004 which was originally called PageSixSixSix.com. Shortly after, he changed the name to PerezHilton.com.

He has also befriended a number of Hollywood celebrities.

Back in 2021, Hilton admitted that he ‘regrets’ the way he covered Britney Spears’ breakdown in 2007.

He had garnered criticism for ‘bullying’ the Baby One More Time hitmaker after he previously called her an ‘unfit mother.’

Months before the distressing TikTok livestream, Hilton reflected on his health scares and admitted he thought he was ‘going to die’; seen in 2025 in Las Vegas 

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He also released a shirt design on his website in 2008 which questioned why the pop star didn’t die instead of Heath Ledger.

The shirt had an image of Ledger from his role in Brokeback Mountain as well as the words: ‘Why couldn’t it have been Britney?’

‘I regret a lot or most of what I said about Britney as I’m sure Piers [Morgan] would if he were here about things he’s said in the past,’ Hilton said during an interview on Good Morning Britain.

The media personality added that he has grown over the years and expressed, ‘Thankfully, hopefully, many of us get older and wiser.’

If you or someone you know needs help in the US, please call or text the confidential 24/7 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988. If you are in the UK, call Samaritans at 116 123 for free. If you are in Australia, call Lifeline 13 11 14 or Kids Helpline at 1800 55 1800.

Elle Walton and Jai Gascoyne were both trained in the dangers of engaging in relationships with inmates, but went ahead anyway

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Two prison officers who sent jewellery and Moonpig cards to a pair of jailed brothers are now behind bars themselves.

Elle Walton, 27 and Jai Gascoyne, 25, both worked as prison officers at HMP Buckley Hall in Rochdale when they gave cards and jewellery to Dil Nawaz, 30, and Haq Nawaz, 32. The brothers were serving time after flooding the streets with up to £3m worth of class A drugs.

Before locking them up yesterday, (August 7), a judge told the women that they had trust placed in them because of their jobs, and that they had ‘undermined that trust in the most devastating way you could have’.

Manchester Crown Court heard Gascoyne ordered matching necklaces and bracelets for her and Dil Nawaz. The female defendants also received money from associates of the brothers. Their relationships did not become sexual and they did not smuggle contraband on the Nawaz’s behalf, reports the M.E.N..

Gascoyne admitted being in an inappropriate relationship with Dil Nawaz between January 20, 2024, and April 4, 2024. While Walton admitted being in an inappropriate relationship with Haq Nawaz between January 21, 2024, and March 16, 2024.

Prosecuting at yesterday’s hearing, Philip Hall said that Buckley Hall is a category C jail with more than 450 prisoners, and about 200 staff. Gascoyne had worked there since August 2021, and Walton from January 2023.

Mr Hall said the pair were friends and socialised outside of work. After starting their jobs, they both undertook security training which included modules on ‘corruption prevention’ and on the ‘consequences of becoming personally involved with prisoners’.

They later completed further training organised by the counter corruption unit. “Elle Walton mentioned the consequences of wrongdoing could involve a prison sentence,” Mr Hall said.

Haq Nawaz and Dil Nawaz both received lengthy jail terms in 2023 for the leading roles they played in a Lancashire drugs gang. Lancashire Police said that the gang was responsible for the distribution of between £2.15m and £3.1m worth of crack cocaine and heroin over a 12 month period.

The gang ‘controlled an army of drug dealers and runners’, the force said. The brothers arrived at Buckley Hall in April 2023. Mr Hall said an investigation was launched into relationships formed between the drug dealers and the two female prison officers after the anti-corruption unit received ‘intelligence’.

Gascoyne was searched as she entered the prison on March 28, 2024. There was no contraband found, but she was wearing two necklaces, one engraved with the letter D, and one with an Arabic script.

Mr Hall said: “Jai Gascoyne could not explain what the Arabic script meant, and she tried to explain ‘D’ was a reference to her dad.”

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The court was told the Arabic was an ‘Islamic prayer for protection’ from the Quran. The probe discovered Gascoyne had bought two necklaces and two bracelets on Amazon. A similar necklace and a bracelet was discovered in Dil Nawaz’s cell later that day.

Following the sentencing, the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit issued more information about the findings. Referencing a search of Gascoyne’s car, a statement said: “Officers found and seized the following items:

“A card in a sealed envelope addressed to Dil Nawaz, with his prison number and prison address. A ring in a box. A mobile phone.

“During the time of these events, Dil Nawaz was a prisoner within HMP Buckley Hall along with his brother Haq Nawaz. Immediately after discovering the items in Gascoyne’s vehicle, officers searched the cells of the brothers.

“Within Dil Nawaz cell, officers seized the following: A valentines card. A necklace with ‘J’ on a love pendant. Bracelet with ‘J’ on love heart pendant.

“Within Haq Nawaz cell, officers seized the following – Moonpig cards. Papers with phone numbers on. Silver necklace with ‘E’ on pendant.

“Officers can evidence that the pendant engraved with the letter ‘J’ is referring to Jai Gascoyne, while the pendant engraved with the letter ‘E’ is referring to Elle Walton. The necklace recovered from Dil Nawaz was identical to a necklace worn by Gascoyne, which was engraved with the letter ‘D’, believed to be a reference to Dil Nawaz.

“Gascoyne was also found to be wearing a necklace bearing Arabic script, which was translated as Ayat al-Kursi, a verse from the Quran. As Dil Nawaz is a Muslim, this provided further evidence supporting the existence of a relationship between him and Gascoyne.”

NWROCU said that Walton’s actions were discovered after her friend’s phone was interrogated. The statement continued: “Gascoyne’s mobile phone was digitally extracted unveiling not only her own corruption, but also Walton’s.

“Between 12 February 2024 and 23 March 2024, Messages between Gascoyne and Dil Nawaz talk about how in love they are as well as plans to marry as ‘the prison can’t do anything and it’s not like she’s bringing drugs in’.

“There are also messages between Gascoyne and Walton referring themselves as ‘Mrs N’. On 14 February 2024, Walton informs Gascoyne that Haq has asked her to be his girlfriend.”

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After the hearing, Detective Inspector Brian Morley, from the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit, said: “Both Gascoyne and Walton knew their actions were corrupt and went to significant lengths to conceal their offending while continuing in their roles as prison officers. By working together to hide their crimes, they undermined the integrity and trust placed in prison staff.

“We welcome the sentencing of both them as well as the extended sentences imposed on the brothers involved. We would like to thank colleagues from HMPPS at HMP Buckley Hall for their support throughout this investigation.

“Corruption has no place in our prisons. Those who abuse their position will be identified, investigated and brought to justice. Maintaining the safety and security of our prisons remains a top priority.”

Gascoyne, of Chapel Street, Dukinfield, pleaded guilty to two counts of misconduct in a public office. Walton, of Gordon Street, Bacup, Lancashire, pleaded guilty to one count of misconduct in a public office.

Haq Nawaz, previously of Leyland, Lancashire, and Dil Nawaz, previously of Preston, Lancashire, both pleaded guilty to encouraging or assisting the commission of an offence, namely misconduct in public office, and possessing a prohibited item in prison.

Gascoyne was sentenced to 16 months in prison. Walton was sentenced to 13 months in prison. Both will serve up to 40 per cent of the sentence behind bars.

The Nawaz brothers both had a year added to their sentences. Dil Nawaz was previously sentenced to 13 years and ten months in prison, while Haq Nawaz was sentenced to 12 years for their parts in a class A drug conspiracy.

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SHANNAN, Tibet (AP) — More than a dozen men and women sit at wooden looms, sliding shuttles through rows of wool yarn before pulling each thread tight. They repeat it again and again as they weave Pulu, the traditional woolen fabric that has clothed people on the Tibetan plateau for centuries.

They work at the Ethnic Huaji Handwoven Cooperative in Shannan, where artisans are trying to preserve one of Tibet’s oldest weaving traditions while creating jobs for local residents.

Founded in 2008 by Tibetan artisan Pasang, the cooperative employs more than 100 local residents, including some people with disabilities, while teaching younger Tibetans a craft that he feared was disappearing.

The cooperative specializes in Zeter, a finer variety of Pulu made from especially soft wool from the necks and backs of sheep. He said the finer wool makes the yarn more difficult to spin than that used for ordinary Pulu.

Pasang said that because Zeter is lighter, softer and more delicate than ordinary Pulu, it was presented as a tribute from Tibet to the Chinese imperial court during the Ming dynasty.

Pasang said he learned the craft from his parents at a time when fewer than 10 people still knew how to weave Zeter.

He added that the craft has been recognized as part of China’s national intangible cultural heritage, and that he hopes younger generations will continue practicing it.

The wool comes from sheep raised around Shannan, about 3,700 meters (12,100 feet) above sea level.

Statues of Tibet’s 7th century King Songtsen Gampo and his Chinese bride, Princess Wencheng, stand at the center of the workshop, surrounded by wooden looms. According to local tradition, the weaving craft dates to when Princess Wencheng introduced weaving techniques to Tibet after marrying the king.

In Chinese official history, their marriage symbolizes the historical ties between Tibet and China. “It integrated Tibetan and Chinese cultures,” Pasang said about the fabric’s history.

The Associated Press joined a government-organized trip to Lhasa and Shannan last month, which included visits to the cooperative, palaces, Buddhist temples, tourist sites, an eldercare center and local businesses.

Next to the workshop, a small showroom displays scarves, shawls, jackets, bags and other products made from Pulu and Zeter. Pasang said most sales are in Tibet, although customers also come from elsewhere in China.

By ELIZABETH IVENS

Published: 01:37 BST, 9 August 2026 | Updated: 02:11 BST, 9 August 2026

The National Trust has been accused of ripping off parents with toddlers by charging for small cups of foamed milk at its cafes.

In stark contrast to High Street chains which supply the so-called ‘babyccinos’ for free, the Trust charges 80p.

The Babyccinos – hot foamed milk in a small cup – have become popular with toddlers wanting to mimic the cappuccinos or lattes that their mums and dads are drinking. 

High Street coffee chains, including Costa Coffee, Starbucks and Caffe Nero, all provide the fun drink free of charge.

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The charge has infuriated parents across the country, and comes as the Trust is under fire for escalating membership fees.

They have risen from £63 for an adult a decade ago to just over £100 now, with family membership rising from £111 to £176.

Parents visiting the Trust’s historic attractions, including Emmetts Gardens, an Edwardian hillside garden in Kent, and Chartwell in Kent, the former home of Winston Churchill, were amazed to be charged 80p for a babyccino at their cafes.

One mum who took her toddler to visit Emmetts Garden, which charges up to £16.50 each for adult entry, told The Mail on Sunday: ‘I ordered one for my daughter and couldn’t believe they were charging for it when it was just a little bit of frothed milk in a cup!’

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A Babyccino made with whipped milk or cream with cocoa or cinnamon powder and marshmallow

A barista, pictured, dusting cocoa powder on to a babyccino in an espresso cup

At the National Trust cafe in Lacock, Wiltshire – which dates from Saxon times and has been a filming location for the BBC’s Pride And Prejudice and the film Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince – a babyccino was also 80p.

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When The Mail on Sunday visited the cafe and ordered a babyccino alongside a standard coffee, our reporter was served a few mouthfuls of hot foamed milk – under 100ml – in an espresso cup.

When asked why there was a charge for the tiny drink, the barista said they charged for cold milk so ‘it was the same’.

But in nearby Chippenham, Wiltshire, coffee chains Costa Coffee, Caffe Nero and Starbucks, all provided a babyccino free of charge when an adult was buying a drink.

While none of them had a babyccino on the menu, all of them offered one upon request. In Caffe Nero the server said they were always happy to provide babyccinos when adults were buying other drinks.

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In Costa Coffee, the babyccino was nearly double the size of the National Trust version at just under 200ml, while in Starbucks, the server offered a small (100 ml) or large (around 200ml) size, both free of charge.

A spokesman for the National Trust said: ‘As a charity, we regularly review our pricing to ensure we can cover our costs and support the long-term future of the organisation, while still offering value for money to our members and visitors.

‘We benchmark our food and beverage pricing against similar attractions and high street operators to ensure it remains broadly in line with industry standards.

‘Given other outlets’ pricing and some visitor feedback we’ve received, we are reviewing our babyccino pricing as part of our normal review cycle.’

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This arid, fly-blown August has been interrupted by a sermon from something called the Institute of Alcohol Studies. 

It claims Parliament is an ‘alcohol-soaked workplace’ where all-day boozing is ‘embedded’ and alcohol has been ‘a driver of harmful behaviours and poor conduct among politicians‘.

The institute, an offshoot of the old Total Abstinence League, may be on to something, although not in the way it imagines.

Westminster does indeed have a hooch problem: In my opinion it does not drink enough.

That, naturally, is not the gist of the report Under the Influence? 38 pages of tight-lipped prose in which the institute denounces our legislature as a soaks’ paradise. 

It alleges that recent MPs have had to have their stomachs pumped, such was their inebriation. No names are given.

The report complains that ‘individuals are responsible for self-regulating their alcohol consumption’, as if some clipboard-wielding Rosa Klebb should constantly hover nearby to tell backbenchers not to have another sherry.

The report – a dry read, yet drippy – is aghast that alcohol is ‘linked to a networking culture deemed essential to career progression’. Networking in politics? Whatever next? Footballers who cheat?

Let us first admit that some people hate politicians and want them to have a miserable time. Why should there be any bars at Parliament? And why do companies and charities lay on free drink at Westminster receptions? Free wine for MPs and peers? The blighters!

The answer to this charge is that politics is a people business. ‘The Devil’s buttermilk’ (as the Rev Ian Paisley used to call alcohol) can make it more honest, as I will explain presently.

Westminster used to be considerably more liquid. The 19th-century Commons was often plastered. 

The mighty Norway debate of 1940, when the Chamberlain government was undone, was held amid the whiff of drink. What a night that must have been: The nerves, the tension, the surging emotions. My goodness, just thinking about it you can almost smell the whisky and the sheer urgency of the hour.

In the late 1960s the Commons Speaker was Horace King, a drinker. One evening he teetered into the chamber at 9.25pm and took more than one go at clambering into his chair. He fell across the clerks’ table, his ceremonial wig at a 45-degree angle.

Bob Mellish, government chief whip, snapped: ‘You’re a disgrace, Horace, and I’ll have you out of that chair in three months.’ Speaker King, suppressing a burp: ‘How can you get me out of the chair, Bob, when I can’t get myself into it?’

BBC political reporter Ben Wright, in his entertaining book about parliamentary drinking, claims that in 1983 a Labour MP, Edwin Wainwright, was escorted to a taxi after overdoing it in Strangers’ Bar.

The Green party’s Zack Polanski is known for not drinking alcohol

Wainwright was not, however, ready to conclude his day.

He stumbled back into the Commons and made a speech so slurred that Hansard’s stenographers were unable to discern what he was saying. Instead of a verbatim account of his speech they simply noted: ‘Mr Wainwright made a number of observations.’

That most languid of Conservatives, Alan Clark, was made a junior employment minister in the same year. He was told to make a front-bench speech about equal opportunities. It did not start until after 10pm, and Clark had spent the first part of the evening at a wine tasting.

As he started reading the speech he realised it was polluted by civil-service jargon. To spare the House he spoke at ’78rpm rather than 33rpm’, i.e, a ridiculously high speed.

Labour’s Clare Short did not see the joke and complained. Clark was undoubtedly naughty but did he not have something of a point? Why should anyone be exposed to officialdom’s cliches after supper?

As for Ms Short, five years later I was drinking in the Imperial Hotel, Blackpool, on the first afternoon of Labour’s party conference. Clare was at our table. I used to think I could drink a lot. Next to her I felt a puny amateur.

The past often shimmered on booze fumes. George Brown was a stocious economics minister and Foreign Secretary in the 1960s. The public warmed to him.

Ernie Bevin, most serious and capable of 1940s statesmen, ran on drink in the way ‘a car uses petrol’. Roy Jenkins was nicknamed ‘Old Beaujolais’.

Politics is not, as the Institute for Alcohol Studies claims, a ‘profession’. You do not need to pass exams to become an MP.

The one piece of paper you need is the returning officer’s confirmation that you won your constituency’s election.

Letts highlights how Parliament has a long, colourful history of heavy drinking, suggesting it humanised politicians and fueled bold decision-making

Parliamentary politics is about life, and life can sometimes be drunken, particularly when under the sort of stress that MPs must endure. I am no longer a big drinker. I can quite see that alcohol, in excess, is a poison. But it is something much enjoyed by millions of voters. Politicians are citizens, not saints.

In recent times we had poor Charles Kennedy, who was killed by drink, and there have been one or two cases of MPs bouncing off the corridors; but we have also had Nigel Farage, whose beery image helped liberate us from the European Union. 

He was more popular when he radiated that pubby bonhomie. Politics is as much the art of conviviality as debate.

The Green party’s Zack Polanski does not drink alcohol. Maybe he would seem less fanatical, and therefore more persuasive, if he did.

The late David Lipsey, a political adviser in the Wilson years, told Ben Wright: ‘Drink stopped the manic compulsion to do something every single day.’

Today’s ministers, Lipsey suspected, were ‘too sober and too energetic, thinking up wheezes they’d forget about if only they had a couple of large drinks’.

I would offer a more positive case for drink, namely as a truth drug. Ministers are more likely to learn what backbench MPs and their constituents think if they mingle with them over a pint.

One of the criticisms of Sir Keir Starmer as PM was that he seldom mixed with his MPs. The celebrated lawyer did not spend enough time at the bar.

Not that today’s Commons is dissolute. Despite those horror stories of stomach-pumping in the institute’s report, today’s MPs strike me as a clean-livered lot.

A few snifters might make them more prepared to disagree with party whips and wake up to the ridiculousness of regulatory over-reach and much welfare spending.

The institute suggests that arguments in bars are a bad thing. If they help MPs work out what they honestly think about bad Bills, I’d say that was a good thing.

Fainthearts will say ‘but it’s a workplace and you shouldn’t drink at work’. Parliament is much more than a workplace. It is the cockpit of our politics, an arena for debate and awkward truths. In recent times those truths have been tamed by too much sobriety.

Winston Churchill said: ‘I have taken more out of alcohol than alcohol has taken out of me.’ If Boris Yeltsin had not been so keen on vodka, would he have risked his life by standing on that tank and resisting Soviet hardliners in 1991?

One of the best backbenchers in the Blair years was Labour’s Bob Marshall-Andrews, no stranger to the Garrick bar at lunchtime.

It was Marshall-Andrews who in the Commons came up with the winning description of David Miliband’s tenure as Foreign Secretary. 

‘A pillock on his gap year,’ drawled the magnificent Bob. The only surprise was that he did not follow it by crying, ‘and another bottle of club red, please!’

Diagnoses for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have increased in many countries across all age groups, our latest review has found. We have also shown that prescriptions for ADHD treatments have seen similar increases across all age groups.

Our latest review, published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, drew together the recently published research on ADHD diagnoses and prescriptions across the world.

We found that in the UK, increases in recorded ADHD diagnoses and treatment prescriptions occurred across all age groups between 2000 and 2018.

The greatest rise in ADHD diagnoses across this period was among children. However, there was also a distinct increase in adults. For example, among men aged 18-29 there was an approximately 20-fold increase in diagnoses and an almost 50-fold increase in prescriptions.

The sex ratio of ADHD diagnoses in childhood and adolescence was approximately 4:1 male to female. However, the ratio of diagnoses in adulthood is nearly 1:1. This shift may partly reflect increased recognition of how ADHD presents in girls and adults – groups that have historically been underdiagnosed.

Alongside these increases in ADHD diagnoses, there has also been an increase in prescriptions for ADHD treatments.

In England, prescriptions of central nervous system stimulants (the main prescription treatments for ADHD) increased by 32% in adults over 18 in 2021-22. In children under 17, prescriptions increased by 12% from 2022-23. This was also the first time that more adults were prescribed these drugs than children since records started in 2015.

A retrospective study of over 154 million people from 13 countries, including in North America, Europe and Asia, demonstrated that use of ADHD medication prescriptions had increased in these regions as well.

Why diagnoses and prescriptions are increasing

A few key factors can largely explain the increase in both ADHD diagnoses and prescriptions that we’ve seen. This includes increased public awareness of the condition, better understanding by doctors of the way symptoms present and the availability of new and improved medications.

Additionally, there is better awareness of how ADHD manifests in groups who may have previously been missed because their symptoms did not match with those typically exhibited in boys and adolescents. This includes women and girls and people with predominantly inattentive symptoms.

However, these factors may only tell part of the story. Our review also revealed other drivers may deserve careful consideration.

For instance, there has been much debate over whether there is an issue of overdiagnosis and over-prescribing. Legitimate questions about whether some attention difficulties might be over-medicalised have also been raised. On the other hand, some authors have argued that there is no evidence to suggest overdiagnosis is occurring in the UK.

Understanding the full picture requires looking beyond the obvious explanations to examine cultural, economic, social and technological pressures in a globally competitive environment that may be influencing both diagnosis rates and treatment choices.

Looking forward

The rising rates of ADHD diagnoses and treatment represent a complex picture. There have been genuine improvements in recognising a real disorder that was historically overlooked (particularly in adult men and women), better clinical awareness and perhaps also some degree of over-identification in certain environments.

What seems clear is that ADHD, long thought of as a children’s disorder, is now being treated as what it truly is: a lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder affecting millions of people across the globe.

As awareness continues to grow, the challenge ahead lies in preserving limited NHS resources, while ensuring those who genuinely need these resources have improved access.

The wait time for an ADHD diagnosis in England currently ranges from two to 15 years. With increasing rates of diagnoses and prescriptions to manage ADHD, there are concerns that demand will soon outstrip NHS capacity entirely.

What could be a solution is the discovery of ADHD biomarkers – an objectively measurable indicator of a biological state or condition that can be detected in signatures in the brain. Currently, ADHD is diagnosed by a doctor who often has to rely on self-reported symptoms. Having biomarkers could improve the accuracy of diagnoses, ensuring those who have the condition get the support they need earlier on.

A beloved rollercoaster has taken its final riders after nearly seven decades of operation.

The Mad Mouse at Arnolds Park Amusement Park in Iowa, US, officially retired on Wednesday, July 29, bringing an end to the attraction’s remarkable 67-year history.

The theme park paid tribute to the classic ride in a Facebook post, thanking it for the “laughs, thrills and memories” it had provided generations of visitors.

“Over the years, this classic ride has created countless memories for generations of guests and kept our maintenance team busy with plenty of repairs along the way,” park officials wrote. “Thank you, Mad Mouse, for the ride.”

The rollercoaster first opened in 1959 at Bell’s Amusement Park in Tulsa, Oklahoma, before being moved to Joyland Amusement Park in Lubbock, Texas, in 1976.

Arnolds Park acquired the ride in 2019, giving it what CEO Jon Pausley described as a “last hurrah”.

The compact coaster became known for its sharp hairpin turns and intense thrills, with Pausley saying riders tended to either love it and ride repeatedly or decide once was enough.

But keeping the ageing attraction running had become increasingly difficult.

Natural wear and tear meant the Mad Mouse required frequent repairs, maintenance and welding. Each welding job also required inspection and certification, sometimes forcing the ride to close for several days.

Park bosses ultimately decided that the ride’s footprint and frequent downtime no longer made sense during its short, 100-day operating season.

As the attraction is dismantled, at least one of its cars will be preserved at the Arnolds Park Museum. Other parts will be sent to Little Amerricka Amusement Park in Wisconsin, home to the last remaining Mad Mouse of its type.

The ride’s removal will make way for a new attraction scheduled to open at Arnolds Park in 2027.

The incident reportedly happened at the Sainsbury’s in Ramshill Road, Scarborough, at about 10.20pm on Thursday, July 30, North Yorkshire Police said.

A force spokesperson said officers want to identify a member of the public “who is believed to have intervened during an incident after a suspect allegedly made threats towards members of staff at the location”.

“The individual may have important information that could assist our enquiries, and we would like to speak with them about what they witnessed,” they said.

The police spokesperson said it is “also believed they [the witness] might be a victim of a crime”.

They urged anyone with information to email nabiel.galab@northyorkshire.police.uk or phone 101.

Information can be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via its website.

Quote reference 12260146831 when providing information to police or to Crimestoppers.

Forty-two properties in Sutton-on-the-Forest are without power due to the unplanned outage on Saturday (August 8), Northern Powergrid said.

The company said its team has identified what caused the outage and expects power to be back on for most of its customers by 5.30pm to 6.30pm.

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Louise Lowes, Northern Powergrid’s director of customer service, said its teams will work “as quickly as possible to get your power back on”.

“We know that power cuts can be really difficult,” she said, adding: “We’ll do our best to support you and get your power back on as soon as we can.

“In the meantime, if you need help, tell us – we are here to listen and support our customers whenever they need us.”

She urged anyone who needs further support to phone Northern Powergrid on 105.